Nefertiti - Abandoned now on my lap! Advice needed

Hello every one been a while since I posted!!! Just to say before I explain my happiness! I am still looking for my three cats who went missing the day after boxing day last year. After my house was tragically broken into and they either ran off or (more likely) they were taken and sold. Today I had a call from a friend who said she'd found a mother and two kittens stray in the woods near her house they seemed to have been abandoned. She'd been going their feeding them for about a week, she'd called the authorities but no one seemed to take action! Hmm!! Anyway today my friend managed to catch one of the kittens! Only she couldn't keep her (as she has persians and one of those has a litter)! So she offered me her. I wasn't sure after all I am still loking for my other precious babies but me being me thought I'd go over and see her and well of course I ended up with her! We got home about an three hours a go. She's sitting on my knee but seems very unsure of herself. She's 8 weeks old (roughly she is tiny and sits in my hand)! Caspian is behaving civil and has gone into the other room to lye down after poke her a few times with his giant tom paws! I am a bit worried about her, earlier she was so terrified of everything she backed herself up in the corner of the kitchen right up agaisnt the wall. Ive never seen a cat do this and it feels so sad because Nefertiti really is a beautiful princess now! If any one has tips on shy cats that would be lovely to here! I won't be leaving her and the great Caspian a lone , after all , if I had been thrown out and made to live in nasty damp cold woods and brought to a nice house the last thing I'd want is a great big man jumping on me and syaing "lets play!" The way she is sitting is quite ridgid, some times she hisses at me witch is kinda funny as shes so tiny and cute. I don't want to give her any more stress though. Todays been a big day, leaving her mother and brother, going to a strange house with a strange woman and cat(s), leaving said house and woman to go to another strange woman and house and cat. I think shes just about had enough! By the way, I called her Nefertiti after the Queen of Egypt who was not born of royal blood. She is almost black apart from a tortie patch on her back and a tortie patch on her front. The lady is still trying to coax the mother and other kitten only they are larger and more aloof.

I would set her up in a small room away from everyone and everything right now. It seems counter-intuitive to us, but for cats small spaces provide comfort. I would put her in a bathroom with her food, water, litterbox (opposite ends of the room for these - they don't like to eat and drink where they poo for obvious reasons). She may also have a bit of diarrhea from going from outdoors food (rodents from Mom, trash/rubbish) to kitty food, so a small space with tiled floors would be good for that reason as well.

Give her time to get accustomed to the smells and sounds of your home. She's probably terrified - you're right it's been a BIG day for her! Her whole little world has turned topsy-turvy and she needs some time to adjust to it.

When you go in to visit her, don't be surprised if she hides from you. She's scared and she isn't sure who she can trust not to eat her (literally - Mum-cat protected her, and she doesn't have that protection anymore). Just go in and sit on the floor, don't force her out of hiding, and talk softly to her or read out loud so she gets used to the sound of your voice, but don't look for her and don't pay attention to her. She's little enough that being ignored won't be acceptable for very long. She'll come out and you can start bonding once she realizes that you're one of the good guys.

I can't thank you enough for your advice !!!!! I'm going to do just that (shes hiding beneath the bookcase now but I'll coax her out slightly with a bit of food)!! She can't stay beneath the bookcase all night!! This is such a very good idea and makes so much sense!! There is a radiator in the bathroom she won't get cold. I'll put the basket she came home in in there (it has an old jumper of mine in and the blanket from the house she was in earlier, a nice clean tray, some food and water and some thing of Caspians that smells of him. Then in the morning I'll go sit in with her and have a few meows. Very good idea thank you very much! I was in a bit of, oh no now what do I do feeling! Thanks very much!

Nefertiti is in her little made up bedroom! I can go to sleep in peace knowing shes safe and Caspian can remain happily under the duvet so every one is happy! Tomoro morning Im going to sit in with her for ten minutes then leave, later on say afternoon I'll go for 20 and in the evening I might bring her in the living room and sit her on my knee for a bit. I think this special little darling needs plenty of loving tender care. She is going to be such a princess.The finest cat nip, a beautiful diamonte collar, salmon on sunday, she'll have a life even some people could only dream of muhahahahaha! But for now she is a scared little baby and we'll get there! THanks again